Improvement in vehicle-platform trestles



B. B. OHILDS. Vehicle-Platform Trestle.

N20. 219,221. Patented Sept, 2, 1879.

WL'b/Laww. l 712/2 71kg):

".PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHING'ION u c are made of tubular material.

.UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN B. OHILDS, OF ROUKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN VEHICLE-PLATFORM TRESTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,221, dated September 2, 1879; application iiled February 8, 1879. d

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, EDWIN B. OHILDS, of the city of Rockford, in the county'of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wagon-Platform Trestles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of wagons or carriages in which the bearing-circles, usually known as the fifth wheel or wheels, on

' drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical representation of a gear embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa horizontal central section of one of the side beams, and Fig. 3 is a shackle designed for coupling the rear'en'd'of the side springs with the ends of the rear transverse spring. Figs.

4 and 5 represent a different method of constructing the tubular side beams with the solid ends. I

In the figures, A represents the main side beams of the-gear-frame, which in the main Into the forward ends of these tubular side beams are welded the solid portions 0., which are provided with perforated ears b, adapted to receive the tongue-irons, to be held in place by suitable bolts passing through the perforated ears and through the pole-irons. The rear ends of these tubular side beams are connected by a yoke,

0, having the forward ends of its arms screwthreaded to enter the screw-threaded rear ends of the tubular side beams, which serves to connect them in a permanent manner, producing a frame of V form.

The yoke c is supported on a bolster, d, which is supported on the uprising cen ter of the transverse spring B, all of which are firmly clamped and held in place by means of screw-staples, which embrace the parts.

G is a central lengthwise truss-bar, having its rear end of fork-branching form, the arms of which curve downward, extend under the spring B, and are pierced to receive the depending screw-threaded ends of the staples, which, in connection with suitable screw-nuts, serve to connect the parts firmly.

D are side springs, having their forward ends connected to the side beams by a shackle,

0, depending from the side beams of the V- formed frame, and their rear ends are connected with the outer ends of the rear spring, B, in this instance by bolt 0r rivet connections,

employed for convenience in constructing the 'model, but .are designed to be connected in practice by a shackle substantially suchyas represented in Fig. 3. In this instance the springs are represented as composed each of a single piece, but are designed to be constructed of leaves or plies, substantially in the same manner as is now common in the manufacture of springs for similar purposes.

The tubular beams A and the central length- :wise truss-bar O are connected centrally by a transverse bolster, F, resting on the upper side of the frame, and an arching bar, f, having its'center resting on the center lengthwise truss-bar audits ends under the tubular beams. In this position the parts are firmly fixed in.

place'by sufficient screw-bolts, which are passed through the bolster and arching bar on each side of the tubular beams, and other suitable bolts, which connect the arching bar with the bolster, between the tubular bars and the center lengthwise truss-bar. These parts form a transverse arching truss bolster-frame to support the side bearings of the bearing-circle G, which is connected therewith by means of the inner bolts, which connect the bolster-truss with the tubular beams. The forward portion of the bearing-circle is supported on a trussed frame composed of the arching bar g and trussrod h, having their ends fixed to the tubular beams by clip-connection, and is connected centrally with the forward side of the bearing-circle and .With the forward end of the lengthwise center truss-bar by a suitable kin gbolt connection. The rear portion of the bearing-circle is supported on an arching bar, m,

the ends of which are fixed to the tubular beams by screw-clip connection, and its center overlaps the lengthwise truss-bar and receives the rear portion of the bearing-circle, at which point these parts are firmly bolted to each other. In practice this gear-frame is mounted on the forward carriage, with the central portion of the side springs resting on the axle-tree near its outer ends, and to which the springs are fixed with clip-bolts, in the usual manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by this construction of gear I distribute the weight carried to three points on each side beam of the frame, and that the greater portion of the weight will be shifted from the center to the end hearin gs, which are nearer to the end supports of the side beams than to the center hearing, which will greatly relieve the center and add to the carrying power of the gear.

It will also be seen that when this gear is required to support a greater weight the tendency will be to depress the center of the side beams, which will shift the greater port-ion of the weight from the center hearings to the end bearings; but this sinking tendency of the center hearings will be resisted by the center transverse arching frame, being supported on the lengthwise center truss-bar, which will operate to support the center portion of the side beams, and tend to produce a greater depression of the side beams at the end bearings than at the center bearings. This peculiar tendency adds greatly to the carrying power of my improved gear.

In constructing my improved gear for wagons designed for very heavy work, I employ an additional truss-rod to connect the outer portions of the arching harm, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which construction gives additional strength to the truss, and serves to relieve the transverse central hearing and shift a still greater portion of the weight to the end hearings, and also to increase the resistance of the center transverse of the side beams.

At Fig. 4 is represented a different method of connecting the solid pole-shackle with the tubular portion of the side beams, in which the end of the pole-shackle is made tubular, and is screw-threaded to receive the screwthreaded end of the tubular portion of the beam; and in this construction the forward spring-shackle may be formed with the poleshackle in one piece.

At Fig. 5 is represented the yoke-connection with the rearends of the tuhularportion of the side bars, which is substantially the same as described in connection with the poleshackle at Fig. 4. I

It is evident that my method of supporting the bearing-circle on trussed frames may be employed in connection with solid side beams made in any of the known forms, or of any suitable material.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the tubular side supports and bearing-circle, of the forward transverse truss, the opposite ends of which are attached to the tubular side supports by clips, while the central portion of said transverse truss supports the forward portion of the bearing-circle, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the tubular side supports and a bearing-circle, of the rear transverse truss, the opposite ends of which are attached to the tubular side supports by clips, while the central portion of said transverse truss supports the rear portion of the bearingcircle, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the main frame of a wagon-platform. trestle, of transverse trussframes arranged to support the bearing-circle at its front, rear, and center, and a lengthwise central truss-bar, the rear end of which is attached to the rear bolster clips or saddles, and ;its forward end to the central portion of the forward transverse truss-frame, substantially :as set forth.

EDWIN B. cHILDsY v Witnesses:

A. O. BEHEL, JAMES FERGUSON. 

